St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-26
HE HAD A PRETTY WIFE
An Aged New York Farmer Weds With
an Exceedingly Attractive and
Buxom Young Damsel.
The Pair Move West, and the Faithless
Female Robs and Deserts Her
Husband,
Who, Unable to Stand the Disgrace.
Takes a Header Into the Un-
known.
Deliberate Suicide in His Prison Cell
of Polander Who Was In
toxicated.


toxicated.
BINGHAMToN, n. Y, Jan. 25.-Threo
or tour years ago farmer, aged go, named
AblJah Brent, and living near the Pennsyl-
Vanla border, below this city, was married
to Martha Pennell, who was not then 20
years old. 1t was supposed by the young
woman and by the people of this locality
that Brent was possessed of considerable
money, but his wife learned soon after the
marriage that he was not worth dollar
MS property beng heavily mOrtgaged. The
marriage was not followed by domestic
happiness Mrs. Brent was one of the
prettiest girls in the community where she
lived Her parents were poor. Brent and
his young wife did not separate, notwith-
| standing the infelicty of their married life.
Two years ago the old mans farm was sold
under foreclosure proceedings. and soon after
he and his wife moved to Indiana, where it
seems he succeeded in purchasing a small
farm. on which was a valuable tract of wal
nut timber, three miles from the small vii
lage of Cristville. For a year past nothing
has been heard of Brent and his young wife
by any of their old Pennsylvania neighbors
Three weeks ago Mrs. Brent appeared at
her former home.
| SHE WAS ELEGANTLY DRESSED
and was accompanied by a fine looking
man, who was introduced by her as her
| husband, George Tyler. She said that
| Brent had died nearly year before and
that she had married a second time and was
then on her wedding trip, which was to in
clude trip to Europe, her husband being
man of means. The couple remained as
the woman's fathers three days and then
took their departure and nothing has been
heard from them since. The news of
Abijah Brent'S death and the return of his
widow with rich husband was announced
in local paper week before last. Charles
Rogers, a cousin of Brents, who is travel
ing salesman for New York house and
lives in that city, happened to be in a
neighboring village and read the announce
ment of Brents death in the paper. He
went at once to his Cousins old home and
there produced letter which he had re-
ceived from Brent and which had been
written and mailed only the day before last
Christmas. Rogers went to the indiana
village, and, according to a letter received
from him by a friend in SuSquehanna
county, found strangely complicated and
mysterious case. For a year and moro
past Mrs. Brent'S relations with prominent
citizen of Cristville, of the name of Cover
dale, had been source of great scandal in
the community. Coverdale was mer-
chant and had an invalid wife and five.
children. He and Mrs. Brent were much
together Before the holidays he began to-
sell out the goods in his store by auctions
and added nothing to his stock. The day
following New Years the store was not
opened and Coyerdale was not seen in the
town. Nothing could be learned as to his
whereabouts. Brent's farm was on an un-
frequented road, and his nearest neighborz
| liVp6 two nilac awaU Ratyyapn
and New Years he had sold his walnut tim
Der for nearly $400 and received the money.
A friend of his, who was at his house the
day before New 7 ears, says that the money
was in bureau drawer on that day in.
Brent's bedroom. Two or three days after
the strange disappearance of Coverdale
resident of Cristville drove out to Brent'S
! farm to see the old man about the purchase
of horse. The house was locked and the
whole place had a deserted appearance. A
! horse and cow in the barn showed plainly
, that they had not been fed for several days.
| Feeling that something was wrong with
Brent, the visitor summoned others and
: broke into the house. Everything was in
} order. Brents clothing was in his bedroom,
but no trace of him could be found any
where about the premises. The bureau
drawer, where Brent's friend declared the
$500 was on the Friday before, was open
and
THE MONEY WAS GONE.
It was evident that the house had been
without occupants for some time. That
!, Coverdale and Mrs. Brent had eloped no
one doubted. but they had executed their
, plans so cleverly that not the slightest clue
could be found that would give any indica-
ton as to the direction they had taken. 1t
was believed that they had put the woman'S
2 husband out of the way and taken hiS
money with them. bat why the old mans
death was necessary to the success of the
: plans of the runaWayS could not be made
clear. A week after the discoveries made
: at Brent's farm, the unusual sight at this
? time of the year of flock of crows hover
? ing about piece of woods on a farm two
: miles from BrentS was noticed by boy
. named Willie Compton. He went out with
his gun to shoot at the crows, which seemed
to gather in one particular spot and cav
E in curious manner. The crows flew
, further away as the boy entered the wood S.
!. and as he followed them up he came sud-
f denly upon the dead body of man hang
ing by the neck from the lower branch of a
big walnut tree. The boy hurried from the
. woods and alarmed men on the farm. They
. went to the tree and recognized the body as
8 that of the missing farmer. A justice of
= the peace was summoned and the body was
i cut down and an inquest held. The dead
mans head was bare and his feet were
: covered by an old pair of shoes. but no
stockings. In pocket of an old farm coat
which the dead man had on was found a
i, piece of paper, on which was written
u 81 CAN'T STAND THE DIsGRCE."
, The writing closely resembled that of the
: dead man and the general impression
q seemed to be that the old man had hanged
f himself OH discovering his wife's guilty
, flight and robbery Of all he had in the world.
!. There were no marks Of violence on the body.
l. but Dr.. Ford, who made post-mortem ex-
9 animation, gave it as his opinion that death
. had not resulted from hanging. but that the
: man was dead when hanged to the tree. In
spite OF that testimony, however, the jury
g returned verdict of suicide.
HANGED HIMSELF.
A Man Frantic with Drink G ommits
g Suicide in His Cell.
WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Jan. 25.-Boyd